Governor



T. HALL. GOVERNOR.

1,438,824. APPLICATION FILED OCT. I0. i919. Patented Dec. 12, I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'ha/iwdfwmmaaaaaw@wml Patented Dec. l2, 1922.

iii liti THOMAS HALL, OlE RIDGWAYPE\TNSYLVANI.

' GOVERNOR. f

Application filed. ctober 10, 1919. `Serial No. 329,684,

To alwwm t may concern Be it known that l, THOMAS, HALL, a citizen or". the United States or' rinierica, and resident ot' Ridgway, Elk County, Pennsylvania, have invented a Governor, ot which the Jollowing is a specification. y y

My invention relates to improvements in governors; and especially to improvements in governors particularly intended' 'for use in connection with steam and other `fluid pressure turbines, and comprises anali'- pressure-producing device, preferably driven by the machine to be governed, and, in the case oit a steam turbine governor, preterably comprising a tan mounted on and driven by the rotor shatto the turbine; the governor' Jfurther comprising a piston or pistons upon which the air pressurethus produced acts, together with means actuated by movement of such piston or pistons tor effecting control oi an admission valve or other controlling means of the turbine or machine to be governed. My invention consists in the novel governing means just herebefore stated, together with other features, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The objects of my invention are, to provide improved and simplified governing means, particularly for steam turbines and the like, which shall be capable of being adjusted for extreme sensitiveness, the trictional losses in which shall be small, the wear in which shall be small,` and which shall not be affected by viscosity of liquid, by leakage, and by other conditions such as particularly affect. governing devices heretofore devised and employing a a gas such as air.

l will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, andwill then point out the novel features in claims: i

Figure 1 shows a side elevation ot my improved governing device, and

Figure 2 an end elevation thereof, together with associated parts oit a steam turbine.

Figure 3 shows a central vertical section of the admission valve of the turbine and control means therefor including the pistons and piston chamber of my improved governing mechanism; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail vertical section through the ian chamber and piston chamberv of my governor,`

`of aportion of the piston liquid, rather than Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section chamber and the adjacent portion of the ing the ports leading from the blower casing into the piston chamber.

ln the drawings, 1 designates the casing oi the turbine to which my governor is ntted, 2 designates the rotor shaft of the turbine, 3 the casing of the blower of my turbine, and 4 (Figure 4l) the tan ot that governor, mounted upon the rotor shait 2. 5 designates a pistonchamber, divided as indicated in Figure 3, into two cylinders 6-6 by partition 7; within which cylinders 6-6 are corresponding pistons 8-8 mounted upon a common piston rod 9 whichpasses freely through suitable bearings in the "top and bottom of the piston chamber 5. The employment ot' two pistons, in separate cylinders, isa mereduplication designed to arord increased power, and `obviously the number or pistons, and correspondingcylinders, may either be less or greater.

At its upper end, the piston rod 9 is connected by a horizontal link 10 to another piston 11 located within a cylinder 12; and also is connected to the valve rod 18 of a pilot-` valve 14 working in a valve-chamber 15` hav,- ing ports 16 and 17 connecting it to the cylinder 12 at points above and below the piston 11 respectively. The valve chamber 15 is'provided with an inlet port 15a connected `to a suitable source `of fluid pressure. The horizontal lever 10, connected not only to the piston rod `9, but also to the piston 11, and to the valve rod 13, and the pilot valve 111, with valve chamber 15 having ports as specified, constitutes a familiar follow-up mechanism whereby the pilot valve 14, under control oit the piston rod 9, operates the valve-motorcomprising `the piston 11 and cylinder" 12. As lis common in such cases the piston 11 is yconnected by a main valverod 22, to the admission valve of blower casing, showthe turbine, which in this case is shown as a g `(Figure y2) 'acting 4throu'rh should increasef beyond its rotation, produces an air pressure which is static, except as variations in speed of the driving shaft 2 of the turbine or other driving means for the fan, :may vary; and this pressure is con'nnunicated through ports 27 (Figure 4e) to the cylinders 6, beneath 4the pistons 8 therein. l rThe consequent tendency of these pistons to rise as such pressure may vary due to varying speed 'of the ydriving` 'means `2by'` asprin 28 a spring` ron 29, a p'ivotedhoriaontal lever SO, and a rod 3l which forms ar downward continuation ot' the piston rod 9, being connected, therefore, to the air pistons 8.

As indicated, the connection oi the springl rod 29 to the `lever 30 is adjustable, and by adjusting` this point foic connection leiigtthwise of the lever 30, the sensitiveness ofthe governor may be adjusted; by moving that point of connection closer toward the pivotal point of the lever, the governor is made more sensitive, and by moving .the point of connection in the opposite direction, the

governor is rendered less sensitive, i. e., more stable. rilhere is also provided ony the sprin nut 29 engaging the sprin` 28, by means of which nut the sensitiv/ences of the governor may also be adjusted, by .screwing this nut'further up on the spring, the governor is made more stable, and by screwing said lnut down the `governor is made more sensitive. v

Above'this spring 28 there is provided a screw 32 secured atits lower end to the top of the spring, also a nut l83 controllable by a hand wheel 34,- by which nut and handwheel the pull exerted by this spring` 28 e varied, so as to correctly balance the spring action with respect to the pressure exerted by the compressed air yagainst the pistons 8. ln some cases l also provide any electric motor 3 5 driving a worin,` 36 acting' upon a worm wheel 37 connected to this nut 83; the said motor andits connections af'- fording' means for adjustment of the governor from a distant point, as for example, from a switch-board. The connection between 'the worm wheel 37 and thejnut 33 Vis through a simple pin-clutch device 39, whereby, if desired, adjustment of the gov,- ernor be eliected by the hand-.wheel 84 without operation of the motor 35. v i i lhj` action of this governor will now be obvious; ln case the speed of the turbine or other machine driving the fanV wheel el a predetermined rate, the airv pressure against the pistons 8 will' increase, and therefore the pistons 8 will ascend slightly, such motionv being coininunicated lllOugh ythe lever 1 0 to the valve le, which rises andpermits fluid pressure tvo flow from ,the inlet port l5.a through the channels or grooves l 14a iin the valve, and through the port 16 into the cylinder l2 is balanced, except above the piston ll. The valve 14 also connects the space or chamber below the piston with the exhaust chamber l8,.which is provided with 4vthe exhaustport 19. rlChe piston therefore descends with consequent lowering of the main admission valves 23; the motion of the pistonv ll being followed, ol necessity, by reac'ljustment oi4I the position of the pilot valve le. rlhis is as is common in these follow-up mechanisms. Conversely, it the speed of the machine drivingthe fan l decrease, the air pistons y8 will lower slightly under the influence of the spring 28, with corresponding operation of the valve le and piston 1l. ln this case the fluid pressure from the inlet l'L passes through the channels lea through the recess 2l and port 17 into the chamber or space below the piston ll, while the space above the piston exhausts through port 16 into exhaust chamber 18'L1 which connects with exhaust chamber 18 and exhaust port 19.

ln practice, inone particular design, rotation of the fan per minute has given an air about twelve inches oi water the pistons 8,.

l am aware that heretoiiore governing devices have been proposed, wherein ay liquid pump or the lilre, driven by a turbine,.has been caused to act upon a piston or pistons, with a pressure varying' according to the speed of the turbine, the so-varying pressure etlecting,- correspon ding,y adjustment of a control valve of the turbine` To the use oi liquid in this manner, distinguishedfrom a gas such as air, there are several disadvantages. For example, the pump must be supplied. constantly with liquic. The action of the pump creates heat which may evaporate the lio uid; it also creates pressure which may lead to leakage and leakage may result from other causes as well, as will `be obvious. Any leaktends to imbalance the governor action. Conceivably, also, the liquid may freeze at a time' when the pump yis not working; also the viscosity ot' the liquid ma;7 enter into the problem, so that the action ot' the governing mechanism may differ with changes of temperature. lt is extremely important that a governor shall always operate; for ifthe governor failtto operate, dangerous speedacting' aga-inst at about lOOrevolutions pressure ci? ilo ing up may result, with,` sometimes, accip Y dents. On the otherhand, when air is employed, there is no danger of' failure of supply of the working mediuinoi' the governor; for it is ever present,.always surrounding theblower, and, practically speaking, its qualities such/as viscosity, elasticity, etc., never change. Diurnal changes of barometric pressure are not importantl,- and difterences inbarometric pressure oi" different locations can be taken care ofyin design. Frictional losses areA much less than whena liquid is employed, and there is no Wear due 1,438,824 ggg to cutting action as 'is apt to be the case when liquid is employed; likewise there is no danger oi stoppage ot ports such as may well occur when liquid is employed.

lfi-:hin the cylinder li?, and above the plston ll, i have shown. a spring d() which, by

acting' upon the piston, insures closing oi they conpiising an air 'ian blower driven by a 4machine to governed, pressure-actuated means comprising a piston chamber and a piston therein, said chamber being; connected to the blower to be continuouslysubjected to the varying air pressure produced by the varying` speed oi the blower, means opera 'tively connecting; said piston to the controlling valves oit said machine, a balancing spring, and means connecting said spring to said -piston comprising a Aoivoted connecting lever means for varying the leverage exerted by said spring' through the lever tothe piston to vary the sensitiveness of the governor, and means i'or adjusting the tension of said spring` to balance its reaction with respect to the vfluid pressure exerted upon the piston.

2. A governing,- device such as described7 comprising` an air an blower adapted to be driven by `a machine to be governed, pressure-actuated means comprising a piston chamber and a piston therein, said cha-mber being` directly connected to the blower `to be affected instantly by varying air pres sure due to varying speed of the blower, means operatively connecting said piston. to the controlling valves o said machine, a balancing spring, and means connecting said spring to said piston comprising means for varying the sensitiveness ofi? the spring reaction.

3. ifi governing` device such as described7 comprising an air 'lan blower adapted to be `driven bya machine to be governed, pressure-actuated means comprising' a piston chamber and a piston therein, such chamber being directly Connected to the blower to be instantly affected by varying air pressure due to varying; speed ol the blower, means operatively connecting` said piston to the controlling valves of said machine, a balancingspring;7 means connecting; one end there oi to said piston, and means acting; upon the other end of said spring to adjust the pressure exerted thereby. y

ln testimony whereof It have signed this specification in the presence oi two subscrib- .ing Witnesses.

THOMAS HALL.

`i/Vitnesses:

MARIAN EsrENsi-ienn, ARTHUR W. LOSER. 

